59610 Delivery
CPT 59610: Global OB Care, VBAC DeliveryGlobal OB Care, VBAC Delivery
2027 change
This code is scheduled for deletion on January 1, 2027, when CPT unbundles the global maternity package. Current rules apply through 2026 dates of service.
See what replaces it → The short answer
Use 59610 to bill the full pregnancy bundle, antepartum visits, delivery, and postpartum care, when a patient with a prior cesarean delivers vaginally. It is the VBAC version of 59400, and the prior cesarean history is what separates the two. If the VBAC attempt ends in a repeat cesarean, the code becomes 59618. A planned repeat cesarean with no labor trial is 59510.
Source: CMSSource: ACOGSource: CMS MPFS 2026
When to use 59610
Report 59610 when one practice provides the complete arc of care and the patient, having delivered by cesarean before, delivers vaginally this time. VBAC pregnancies carry extra counseling, labor monitoring, and risk management, which is why CPT gives them their own code family rather than folding them into 59400. The global mechanics are identical: one code, billed after delivery, with component codes (59612, 59614, plus the shared antepartum codes) when care splits. The code choice is settled at delivery, not at the birth plan: what the patient attempted and how she actually delivered decide it.
59610 vs 59510 vs 59618
59610 · VBAC succeeded
- Prior cesarean documented in the record
- Trial of labor attempted and completed vaginally
- One practice provided the full span of care
- Billed once, after delivery
The cesarean outcomes
- 59618: labor trial attempted, ended in a repeat cesarean
- 59510: repeat cesarean scheduled, no trial of labor
- No prior cesarean at all: plain 59400 family
- Split care: 59612/59614 plus antepartum codes by visit count
Documentation checklist
The record has to support both halves of the code: the routine global span and the VBAC-specific history that justifies the higher-intensity family.
✓ Prior cesarean documented, with the delivery history in the problem list
✓ VBAC counseling and consent noted during antepartum care
✓ Antepartum flow sheet with visit dates and count
✓ Delivery note showing vaginal delivery after trial of labor, with any assistance used
✓ Postpartum visit within the payer's global window
✓ Separately billed services tied to distinct diagnoses
✓ Transfer date documented if the patient arrived mid-pregnancy
Global package rules
59610 is the global package for the VBAC route. The usual boundaries hold: obstetric ultrasounds, fetal non-stress tests (59025, common in VBAC surveillance), labs, and problem E/M visits bill separately, while routine visits and the delivery stay inside. VBAC pregnancies often generate more of that outside-the-package work than average, so the separately billable services deserve as much coding attention as the global code itself. See The Global OB Package, explained. ACOG
Reimbursement
2026 · national Medicare averages | Component | Work RVU | Total RVU | 2026 rate |
|---|
| 59610Global package | 38.71 | 69.78 | $2,330.71 |
National amounts under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (non-facility total RVU x $33.4009 conversion factor, no locality/MAC adjustment). Commercial and Medicaid rates differ. Verify current values with your MAC before billing.
Common denials
CO-16 Prior cesarean history not on the claim
Why it happens
VBAC codes without a supporting diagnosis for the prior uterine scar read as inconsistent, and some payers reject them outright.
How to fix
Resubmit with the prior-cesarean diagnosis coded and the delivery history documented in the record.
Source: CMS CO-97 Routine visits billed on top of the global fee
Why it happens
Antepartum or postpartum E/M visits that belong inside the package were billed separately.
How to fix
Reserve separate E/M for distinct problems with their own diagnoses, append modifier 25 for significant same-day services, and appeal with documentation beyond routine care.
Source: NCCI CO-236 Global and component codes on one pregnancy
Why it happens
The claim mixed 59610 with 59612, 59614, or antepartum codes for the same patient.
How to fix
Global or components, never both. Components apply only when part of the care happened elsewhere.
Source: NCCI CO-50 Visit count too low for global billing
Why it happens
A late transfer left too few antepartum visits at the billing practice to support the package.
How to fix
Bill the pieces: E/M for 1–3 visits, 59425 for 4–6, 59426 for 7+, plus 59612 or 59614 for the delivery side.
Source: ACOG CO-119 Second global claim on the pregnancy
Why it happens
Another practice already billed a global code across a mid-pregnancy transfer.
How to fix
Coordinate the component split with the other practice and resubmit with the transfer date documented on both sides.
Source: CMS FAQ
What is the CPT code description for 59610?
In plain language, 59610 covers complete routine obstetric care for a patient with a prior cesarean who delivers vaginally this time: antepartum visits, the VBAC delivery, and postpartum care, billed as one package by one practice.
Why not just bill 59400 for a vaginal delivery?
Because the prior cesarean changes the work: added counseling, consent, and labor monitoring. CPT prices that into the VBAC family, and 59610 pays accordingly. Using 59400 undersells the care and misstates the history.
What if the VBAC attempt fails and she delivers by cesarean?
The pregnancy moves to 59618, the global code for an attempted VBAC ending in cesarean. The attempt is what matters; document the trial of labor explicitly.
The patient planned a repeat cesarean but delivered vaginally before the OR. Which code?
Code what happened: a vaginal delivery after a prior cesarean is 59610 regardless of the birth plan. The delivery route and the documented history decide the code, not the schedule.
Are non-stress tests part of the 59610 bundle?
No. Antenatal surveillance like 59025 bills separately, and VBAC pregnancies tend to accumulate more of it. Keep the indications documented per test.
How does a mid-pregnancy transfer work with VBAC codes?
Same as any global split: the transferring practice bills antepartum-only codes by visit count, and the delivering practice bills 59612 or 59614 plus its own antepartum code if it provided 4 or more visits.
CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Educational reference only, not billing, legal, or medical advice.
Maintained by Ouma Health, a maternal-fetal telemedicine practice. Printed from obcodingguide.com, content current as of July 2026.